Citizens Group Vows To Stop Ugi Project

December 04, 1985|by JILL WENDLING, The Morning Call

Representatives of Watch Our Water (WOW), a recently formed environmental group, said last night at its meeting that it plans to move forward with its plan to buy 85 acres of land on Lehigh Street in Salisbury Township - even though UGI Corp. owns the tract and has started to build the commercial phase of its Devonshire project on it.

The group, which is sponsored by the Community of Neighborhood Organizations, feels the development would adversely affect the Little Lehigh Creek and the major watershed that feeds into an intermittent stream which eventually drains into the Little Lehigh.

WOW also raised concerns over the consequences of that development hooking into the Keck Bridge sewer line. In a letter to James A. Sutton, president of UGI, Emerson Sell, WOW chairman, said the development would "compound the overloaded sewer line's problems."

UGI's seven-phase development includes the building of 350-single family homes.

According to Bob Reppert of WOW, the single-family home area is the section that WOW mainly opposes because it would destroy a wooded area, severely damaging the watershed and causing erosion to the existing land.

Reppert claims he has in his possession a letter from UGI dated March 25, 1980, from Thomas LeFevre, then president of UGI, to Dr. James A. Pantano of Allentown, saying that the corporation would sell the land "without profit or loss" to an interested party. At the time, Pantano was acting as a private citizen who was interested in the preservation of the land and wrote to UGI inquiring about the land.

"She has access to all the files of the watershed in the past," said Sell.

Sell's October letter to Sutton also asked Sutton for the price per acre of 100 acres. Sell said he has not received a response to that letter.

WOW also has sought the help of Sen. Guy Kratzer, R-16th. Because Kratzer was in Harrisburg, Vince Rossi, Kratzer's legislative aide, attended in his place. Rossi said that Kratzer sent a letter to Roscoe C. Baker, area manager for UGI in Bethlehem, asking for UGI's plans for the tract, and UGI responded by saying the letter has been forwarded to UGI's corporate headquarters in Valley Forge.

In an attempt for public awareness, the group has started a petition campaign and hopes to collect 100,000 signatures by July. It also has asked for the support of local environmental and fishing groups.

Reppert urged the group representatives to write letters to the editor and their representatives.

"If we succeed in saving this watershed, we can save the others. Ifwe fail at this one, we can forget the rest and fill the stream with dirt," Reppert said.

Rossi advised the group to get some type of legal formulation. "The group doesn't have a legal body. WOW should be incorporated if they want to enter into a contract with UGI," he said.

Raising questions as to the group's eventual success in acquiring the land was Ollie Orth, president of the Lehigh South Mountain Woodland Association Inc.

"Suppose they (UGI) meet all the requirements. They'll still build the project," said Orth, who also urged the group to get legal representation.

Reppert said the group plans to contact an attorney and inquire about incorporation. When the organization does incorporate it will be under the name of Little Lehigh Watershed Coalition.

Rossi added that he agreed that WOW has meritorious intentions, but added that there are certain frameworks and skills that the group has to develop.

"One of the goals is if you can purchase the land. If you can't purchase the land, all work will be for naught. Second, if the lands needs to be purchased, you have to go through a contractual agreement between two legal binding bodies. Is WOW a legal binding party?" he asked.

Although the land is already being developed and has been appraised at $1.7 million, Sell remained confident that WOW will be able to buy the property.